Disconnecting-switch



M. M. SAMUELS AND F. N. BECHUFF. DISCONNECTING SWHCH.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, I9I9. l 1,381,344. Patented June 14, 192] IVI. IVI. AIVIUELS AND I. N. BECHOFF.

DISCONNECTING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, I9I9. 1 ,381 ,344. Patented Jun@ 14, 1921.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 2.

I MR-"663:

' switches adapted UNiTi-:D s'iATiezsV Iif'afrisu'i OFFICE.

MAURICE M. SAMUELS AND FERDINAND N. BECHOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

DiscoNNEoTING-swircrr.

. specification.

invention relates to an improved disconnecting switch for use inconnection with oil switchesy employed on high tension alternating current circuits, by whichthe live leads of a circuit may be disconnected from the oilswitch when it is necessary for any reason to inspect or re- Our form of 'pair the oil switch.

e are aware that disconnecting switches of different kinds have heretofore been employed for this purpose, and our invention has to do particularly with disconnecting to be installed in'locations where a limited amount of room is available for the housing and operating of said switches and particularly where the available i'oom is restricted to a vertical direction, or the direction of the line wires and compartments provided to receive the line wires and lead them to the oil switch which direction it will be understood is usually vertical in practice, a separate compartment being provided in high tension work for cach wire and the switching mechanism provided for the same. By our invention We provide that the compartment for receiving each line wire and its switch mechanism may be of the minimum depth and width required to house the switch mechanism itself, without allowing direction for the mechanism, since by our construction the motion of the switch devices is wholly in the longitudinal direction of the inclosing compartment, as a result of which the compartments containing the switch mechanism may remain closed andbe of minimum depth and width, and the disconnecting switch operated from outside of the compartment with entire safety.

)ur invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showingr a preferred embodiment thereof in which- Figure 1 shows the disconnecting switch mounted in place in front elevation and-em- Specication of Letters Patent. Application filed June 13,

additional space in eitherf operation of the switch Patented June 14, 1921 i919. seriai No. 304,027.-.)

ployed in connection with a three wire circuit.

Lig. 2 is a side elevation of the disconnecting switch shown in 'F ig. l, this view being partly in vertical section to more clearly show the relation of the parts.

Pig.. 3 shows in a view similar to Fig. 2 oneof the disconnecting switches in its open position, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of thev parts shown in I4 the line l`4.

Similar numeralsrefer to similar parts throughout the several views. -As shown in the drawings, the disconnecting switches 10, l1 and 12 are mounted in igs. land 2 taken along parallel vertical compartments 13, 14 and 15, which may be closed by a protecting slidling door 16 to prevent accidental .injury from contact with -the disconnecting switches and the apparatus in the lower portion of the said compartments, vwhich apparatus is not shown as it constitutes no part of .the present invention. The disconnecting switches are of the same construction and it is therefore necessary to describe but one of them as, for example, switch 10. i

its shown in Fig. 2 the disconnecting switch consists ,of a pair of insulators 17 and 18, mounite'd on a base plate 19, supported `on the rear wall of the compartment 13, and these insulators have mounted on their outer ends contact clips 20 and 21. A pair of switch blades 22 are mounted on an insulator 23, in vertical alincmcnt with and upon either side of the contact clips 2() and 21, so that they may be moved freely in a vertical direction, relatively to and without engaging said contact clips. The insulator 23 is supported upon a horizontally disposed clianncl beam 24 which is mounted in a manner to be described, to move the blades 22 vertically. rlhe'blades 22 are connected by contact blocks 25 and 26, disposed at such a distance apart that when their upper-position, said blocks make electrieal contact with the contact clips 20 and 2.1, thereby electrically connecting said clips through the switch blades. When the blades 22are moved to their lower position shown in Fig. 3 in a manner to be described, the contact blocks are moved from engagement with the contact clips until the upper contact block 25 is adjacent to contact clip 2l, thus separating the contact block 25 from the contact clip 20V-by an air ,gap nearly equal to the distance between the contact clips, Ywhich grap may be given any' desired Q8 extending' from the Contact clip 2l to the apparatus in the con'lpartment lil to be protected by the operation ot the disconnecting; switch.

The channel beam 24 extends across the 'front to all ot the compartments 13, lei. and l5 and supports the switch blades ol all oit the disconnecting switches employed to control a particular circuit in the manner described above for the switch blades 2Q, and this beam is secured at its ends by brackets 29 to vertical rods B0 mounted for vertical .movement in brackets 31 Supported on the liront wall of the said compartments.

Each of the rods 3() has secured to its lower end as indicated in Fig, 2, a rack 32 meshing' with the idler pinions 33, which in turn meshes with the gear let secured to a shaft extending horizontally across the 'liront ol" the compartn'ients outside ot the door 1G. The shat't 35 is supl'iorted in suitable bearings from the front wall of the coinpartments which may form a part of the housings 37 employed to inclose the gears 'lsland pinions 33. The sha'lt 35 has rigidly secured thereon. at one end an operatingl handle 38 and the ratio ot the `rearing' is preferably such that when the handle is in its upper position as shown in Figs. l and 9, the contact clips of the disconnecting,` switches are connected together by the means described, and when the handle rotated outwardly and downwardly to its lowermost position or, in other words, is given substantially a one-haltI rotation, the blades ot the disisconnecting switcl'ies are moyed to the' position indicated in Fig. 3, openingY said switches.

From the above it will appear that by our inyention we provide a construction in which the only clearance required 'for operating the disconnecting switch is in a vertical direction, that is'to say, in a direction ot' the length or height ol" the inclosing compartments, and that the compartments need be only ot such a depth as to contain the contact clips Q0 and 2l ot' the disconnecting; switch, and maintain'between them and the liront and rear walls ot the compartment proper minimum striking distances 'For the voltage employed in connection with any particular circuit, and that the same 'consideration is the lonly one controlling the width of each conjipartment, and furthermore that since the space available lorigitudinally of veach compartment is usually ample for properly containing apparatus 'assi 'tact blocks between a ot this ldnd 'for use with the high voltage circuits employed iny practice, our invention may readily be employed iu any case where it is desired to use 'liscmmecting switches. l"urtluirmore, it will he cb; vcd that the operating; mechanism described positively holds `the moving' parts olx the disconnecting switches in either their closed or their open position, and thus prevents the accidental opening;` ot' the disconnecting switches due to the action ol' the excessive current which may under cci-tain conditions momentarily liow through said switches.

llhile we have shown our invention in the particular emluuliments herein described we do not, however, limit ourselves to thisV exact construction as we may employ any equivalent thereoil known to tl i art at time of the tiling oli' this application without dei'iarting trom, the scope ot the appended claims,

llf'hat we claim is:

l. ln a disconnecting switch the combit nation ot a pair o'i insulalors` a Contact clip supported by .ach insulator, a pair ol switch blades located one upon either side ot' said contact clips, contact blocks extending between and secured to said blades for engagifm` said contact clipsI in the closed position ot the switch, an insulator supporting said switch blades, a member supporting' said last named insulator, rods secured to said member and located substantially parallel with said switch liilades and mounted ior longitudinal n'lovemcnt, and devices for moving!" said rods lonnitud'inaliy to open or close said switch desired.

2. ln a disconnecting; switch7 the combination ot a pair ot insulators, a contact clip supported by each insulator, a pair o'lswitch blades located one upon either side of said contact clips, contact blocks extending between and secured to said blades tor engag- `ino' said contact clips in the closed position ol'v the switch, an insulator supporting said switch blades, a member supporting' said insulator, rods secured to said incn'iber and 'located substantially parallel with said switch blades and mounted lor longitudinal movement, a rack secured to cach ol1 said rods, gearing' meshing with cach rack. a shaft connecting the geariiugA meshing with said racks, and an operating handle .securedk to said shalit to impari, simultaneous movement in the same direction to said racks to open or close said switch as desired.

il. ln combimition` a plurality ol disconnectiug' switches, each comprising' a pair oli insulators, a, connectinrr clip carried l insulator, a pair ot swi tch blad( switch blades to engage in the closed poss i' insulator supporting sai .necting switches, insulators,

blades, a member supporting the last named insulator of each disconnecting switch, and devices for moving` said member to impart simultaneous longitudinal movement to the switch blades of said disconnecting switches to open or close said switches as desired.

4. In combination, a plurality of disconeach comprising a pair of av connecting clip carried by each insulator, a pair of switch blades located one upon either side of said contact clips, contact blocks between and secured to said svvitch blades to engage said contact clips in the closed position of the' switch, an insulator supporting said pair of contact blades, a member supporting the last named insulator of each disconnecting switch, rods secured to said member andl disposed substantially parallel with said switch blades MAURICE M. SAMUELS.

FERDINAND N. BECHOFF. 

